Hey everyone! Here’s another great guest review and special crossover content from Christine Hollins – there’s a link to her blog at the bottom. I’m honored that Audible Feast is able to share the story of her weight loss journey. You can find more of her past reviews by clicking on her tag at the very bottom of this post or searching for “Christine” in the search box on the right! Enjoy!

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In my journey toward considering weight loss surgery I sought out multiple resources to help me better understand what it was and what life was like afterward. The bigger question of how to manage long term obesity was something I hoped for, but struggled to find. One evening I thought, “I wonder if there are any podcasts about weight loss surgery?” Turns out there is: “The Weight Loss Surgery Podcast.”

The podcast is the brainchild of Reeger Cortell, FNP. Reeger is a nurse who works with bariatric patients and truly has a heart for helping people to overcome obesity. This is summed up in the podcast’s own description: “Reeger created WLS Podcast with three main objectives: 1) Provide evidenced-based education, 2) Motivate through unwavering belief in a person’s ability to stay on track to their goals and to take charge of their lives, and 3) Inspire people during all phases of the WLS journey to remain focused on what’s most important: Safe, optimal, life-long health and wellness.”

To date there have been 76 episodes, most of which are one on one conversations with patients, doctors, or other experts in the field. Reeger has an excellent interview style and her voice is confident and reassuring. I started with episode 43, one of several conversations with Jeff Newell. I started here because the episode highlighted his experience just before and just after surgery. From there I listened to a few of the follow-up conversations, episode 49 and episode 77. As you can see, I skipped around initially and that was purely based on my interest.

Since then I have officially subscribed to the podcast and have been impressed by the topics covered. Episode 74 is an unedited version of a prior discussion about the biology of obesity with Dr Randy Seely. I think I listened to this episode five times in a row and recommended it to everyone I know. I am not sure if it is because I am science nerd or because I have struggled with my weight all my life, but this episode really answered a lot of questions for me. The conversation was not overly technical and it clarified a LOT. I highly encourage anyone interested in nutrition and why your body behaves the way it does to check it out.

One of the other things Reeger manages to balance out in the podcasts is the balance between personal accountability and effective partnerships with medical professionals. She highlights in her interviews how a doctor’s “command” to lose weight is just unreasonable and how common sense needs to be applied in the struggle against obesity. This is something very personal to me. I have had people (family and doctors) push me to lose weight most of my life. In most cases the edicts were not constructive and offered little support beyond – do this or you will have consequences. For someone who has tried nearly everything under the sun to achieve a healthy weight this is a nonstarter (check out my latest blog post for my personal story). Sometimes you need someone to guide you, invest in you, and encourage you. Reeger provides a piece of that support without purporting to be the final authority on everything in the bariatric world.

She and her guests always encourage listeners to follow their program, ask questions, and provide them with quality educational resources. If you did not know, this is in stark contrast to a lot of advice you encounter in WLS communities in social media. It is probably one of the many reasons why Reeger was recently recognized by The Obesity Action Coalition as 2016’s Bias Buster of the Year. Thank you Reeger for the important work you are doing for this community!

The Weight Loss Surgery Podcast typically runs about an hour and is released at least once per month. It also always ends with a joke which means it always closes on an upbeat note. The infrequency of the podcast is the only complaint I have. While I enjoy being surprised to find an episode, I crave a more predictable release schedule. While we wait for the next episode to drop check out the be sure to check great content that already exists.

What do you think of these podcasts? Leave a comment below and let’s discuss! Also subscribe to my twice-monthly newsletter!

Audible Feast Ratings

Educational Value (5 / 5)

Pop Culture Value N/A

Host Listen-ability (5 / 5)

Flow & Production Value (5 / 5)

Humor (5 / 5)

Investigation (3 / 5)

This is not truly an investigative show; however, Reeger does cater to her listeners and their questions. She makes an effort to get the right people in the seat to be able to provide the best information and is willing to direct folks back to their doctor/program for more.

Storytelling (5 / 5)

This is an interview style show so the art of storytelling is in the quality of the interviewer and the interviewee.

Makes Me a Better Person (5 / 5)

This podcast is highly specialized with a specific target audience. It made sense for me.

Overall Audible Feast Rating: [usr4]

Great content, very informative, wish release of episodes was a bit more consistent – worth subscribing.